National Resource Center on Domestic Violence

Meeting Survivors' Needs Study Resource Page

NOTE:This page will be updated as new materials become available.

The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) and the University of Connecticut School of Social Work reports new data that documents how well local domestic violence programs are addressing the needs of those reaching out to them for assistance. This substantial data collection effort involved 90 urban, rural and suburban community-based domestic violence programs and nearly 1,500 domestic violence survivors surveyed in 2010 about their experiences seeking and receiving non-residential domestic violence services.

This study complements the Meeting Survivors' Needs: A Multi-State Study of Domestic Violence Shelter Experiences (2008), a survey of survivors of domestic violence who were in shelter. The Shelter Study was also conducted by the University of Connecticut of Social Work, in collaboration with the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence.

For questions or comments related to the Meeting Survivors' Needs Research Project, please contact research@nrcdv.org.

Table of Contents:

Meeting Survivors' Needs through Non-Residential Domestic Violence Services & Supports: Results of a Multi-State Study | Back to top

This study was designed to meet the following goals:

Learn more about what domestic violence survivors want when they come to programs for supportive services, the extent to which survivors have had their service expectations met, and survivors' assessment of immediate outcomes associated with the services they receive.

Learn more about how survivors' experiences, needs and immediate outcomes vary across demographic and domestic violence program characteristics.

Develop recommendations for domestic violence programs across the country for how they might improve their services.

Meeting Survivors' Needs through Non-Residential Domestic Violence Services & Supports: Results of a Multi-State Study (Full Report) | PDF (322 p.) by Eleanor Lyon, Jill Bradshaw, and Anne Menard for the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) (November 2011)
This study of the services and supports provided by domestic violence programs in four states was designed to help fill a gap in current knowledge about the range of services provided, and the needs and experiences of survivors. + View Summary

Press Release - National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, University of Connecticut School of Social Work Unveil New ReportPDF (2 p.) by the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (February 2012)
This press release highlights findings from the report, noting that it "affirms thatlocal programs are
having
an
important,
positive
impact
but
also
that
they
need
further
support
to
respond
more
fully
to
what
victims
are
looking
for
when
they
reach
out
for
help." + View Summary

Meeting Survivors' Needs Through Non-Residential Domestic Violence Services and Supports: Results of a Multi-State Study - Interview with Anne Menard and Eleanor Lyon | HTMLby Mary Louise Kelley for the National Institute of Justice (August 2012)
In this podcast series, Mary Louise Kelley, Director of the Family Violence Prevention Services program at the Department of Health and Human Services, is joined by Anne Menard, Director of the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, and Eleanor Lyon, the principal investigator to discuss a study focused on nonresidential domestic violence services. + View Summary

Meeting Survivors' Needs: A Multi-State Study of Domestic Violence Shelter Experiences | Back to top

This groundbreaking study provides important insights into the role that shelters play in survivors' efforts to escape violence and abuse. Results capture the voices and experiences of over 3,400 shelter residents in 215 programs across eight states.

Meeting Survivors' Needs: A Multi-State Study of Domestic Violence Shelter Experiences | PDF (145 p.) by Eleanor Lyon, Shannon Lane, and Anne Menard for the National Institute of Justice (October 2008)
This groundbreaking study provides important insights into the role that shelters play in survivors' efforts to escape violence and abuse. Results capture the voices and experiences of over 3,400 shelter residents in 215 programs across eight states. + View Summary

Executive Summary - Meeting Survivors' Needs: A Multi-State Study of Domestic Violence Shelter Experiences | PDF (19 p.) by Eleanor Lyon, Shannon Lane, and Anne Menard for the National Institute of Justice (October 2008)
This summary highlights key findings, implications, and recommendations from the groundbreaking study providing important insights into the role that shelters play in survivors' efforts to escape violence and abuse. + View Summary

Research In Brief - Meeting Survivors' Needs: A Multi-State Study of Domestic Violence Shelter Experiences | PDF (4 p.) by Eleanor Lyon, Shannon Lane, and Anne Menard for the National Institute of Justice (February 18, 2009)
The Summary of Findings highlights the following items: Shelters Have the Capacity to Meet a Range of Needs, Shelters Serve Diverse Survivors, Survivors Say Shelters Are Meeting The Needs They Identify, Challenges, and Implications of the Study. + View Summary

Transcription of Shelter Study Webinar Recording | PDF (17 p.) presented by Eleanor Lyon for the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) (April 7, 2009)
This transcript is a written record of the webinar audio accompanying the release of the report, Meeting Survivors' Needs: A Multi-State Study of Domestic Violence Shelter Experiences. + View Summary

Frequently Asked Questions: Shelter Study Webinar | HTMLby the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) (August 2009)
This provides a synopsis of the presenters' answers to common questions posed during the April 7, 2009 webinar accompanying the release of the report, Meeting Survivors' Needs: A Multi-State Study of Domestic Violence Shelter Experiences. + View Summary